R.I.P. Shirley Temple Black

Shirley Temple has died. She was more than the most famous child star in history. She was so big that she was credited by FDR with rallying the country through the Great Depression. The actress passed away Monday at her home in Woodside, CA, her family said, according to reports. She was 85. Born in 1928, Temple, a talented actress, singer and dancer, began her career at age 3 and in 1934 catapulted to international stardom with the David Butler-directed Bright Eyes. That movie featured the classic musical number “On The Good Ship Lollipop”. Among Temple’s many other top credits from the period were Curly Top, Little Miss Marker and Stand Up And Cheer. She was America’s top box-office draw from 1935-1938 and has been credited with helping save 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy during the Depression years.

“Today as the world mourns the loss of ‘America’s Little Darling,’ we remember not only one of the most prolific child stars to ever grace our screens, but also a woman whose achievements reached far beyond her Hollywood career,” Fox studio chief Jim Gianopulos said today. “Shirley Temple Black remains an integral part of Twentieth Century Fox’s heritage and the bronze sculpture of her that flanks the Shirley Temple Black Child Development Center on the Fox Lot serves as reminder of her enduring legacy and her ability to unite and entertain both young and old. She was an extraordinary talent and on behalf of all of us at Fox, I wish to extend our deepest sympathies to her family.”

Temple was given a special juvenile Academy Award in 1935 — at the age of 6. Later in her career, she starred with Cary Grant and Myrna Loy in The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer and in John Ford’s Fort Apache with John Wayne and Henry Fonda. But in 1950, at age 22, she retired from films. That same year, she married Charles Alden Black, with whom she would remain until his death in 2005. In 1958, she returned to the entertainment business with an NBC anthology series of fairy tale adaptations called Shirley Temple’s Storybook, which later became The Shirley Temple Show and ran until 1961. She continued to make guest appearances on television, and also became active in politics. In 1967, the Republican Temple unsuccessfully ran for Congress, but was later appointed as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. In the 1970s, she was the U.S. ambassador to Ghana and also became the U.S. Chief of Protocol. In the 1980s, she was ambassador to Czechoslovakia.

Among Temple’s awards for her contributions to film are the Kennedy Center Honors, National Board of Review and SAG life achievement prizes. Upon winning her SAG prize in 2006, she said, “I have one piece of advice for those of you who want to receive the lifetime achievement award. Start early.” In a statement provided to the AP, her family said today, “We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly as our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and adored wife for fifty-five years of the late and much missed Charles Alden Black.”

27 Comments

This is a very sad day hearing the news that we’ve lost such a classy and talented woman. She has entertained me throughout my life as I enjoyed her obviously god-given talent when she was so young and then watched as she became such a wonderful Ambassador for our country later in her life. Thank you Shirley Temple, we’ll miss you.

Addie DeItt • on Feb 11, 2014 4:48 am

It’s as if Shirley Temple has been in the American mindset since the beginning of film itself. Her contributions are that of a life well lived; ith dignity, class and tremendous contribution to the world. Rest in Peace.

Norman Stanley • on Feb 11, 2014 5:01 am

The World Has Lost a Great And Talented Lady In Shirley Temple Black My Sympathy To Her Family At This Very Sad Time

SallyinChicago • on Feb 11, 2014 5:13 am

The “original” child star. RIP

pardon me but ... • on Feb 11, 2014 5:19 am

I must mention that there’s no need to say ‘one of the most famous child stars in history’. She was THE most famous child star in history bar none. Qualifiers such as this are normally required but this is Shirley Temple for God’s sake. What a legend, the likes of which we will most likely never see again. God’s speed Mrs. Black.

Marty Robinson • on Feb 11, 2014 6:51 am

Actually, the article does not say “one of the most famous child stars in history” … it says “she was MORE than the most famous child star in history”. Emphasis mine.

mjrules • on Feb 11, 2014 5:31 am

RIP to a very special lady, she will be truly missed.

tazzy • on Feb 11, 2014 5:36 am

RIP, Shirley Temple Black. You provided joy to so many! And you, as the original child star, set the example for how to grow from a child sensation into a wonderful adult.

Sadly, today’s youth (Justin Bieber, Lindsay Lohan, etc., etc.) only become rich and famous for the purposes of self destruction. Black showed us that when being given a rare opportunity, God demands you make the most of it — and boy, did she.

God bless you, Mrs. Black. You will be missed.

Hot Dumb Italian Mike! • on Feb 11, 2014 5:51 am

My great grandfather’s brother told me long ago that Shirley Temple’s father got her out the industry because she didnt get the role of”Dorothy”in”the Wizard of Oz”. He starred in some of her films. Instead she did “The Blue Bird”

melody b bradford • on Feb 11, 2014 6:30 am

may you rest in peace

Meghan K • on Feb 11, 2014 7:00 am

A class act.

Danette Herman • on Feb 11, 2014 7:04 am

The passing of Shirley Temple Black is a sad occasion for her family and fans. As one of the biggest film stars she brought happiness during a time when people needed it.
I felt extremely honored and fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet her in person, when we assembled the past Oscar winners for the 70th Academy Awards. Gil Cates produced that show, and as I write this, am looking at the group photo, signed by Gil saying “Danettesky we did it!”. It is a memory to to treasure forever.
Shirley was the person everyone wanted to meet. She was gracious, beautiful, and even then, when looking at her, you could easily recall that exuberant little girl with the beautiful curls, who danced into all of our hearts.

amc73 • on Feb 11, 2014 9:14 am

No animal crackers in my soup toady. RIP Shirley Temple

Mark • on Feb 11, 2014 9:22 am

Shirley Temple is everything that current Hollywood types ARE NOT, and never will be. And they know it, and it kills them.

If more of Hollywood were like her; Hollywood would not be so reviled.

I have no doubt that many in Hollywood are secretly glad she died. Vacuous and meaningless statements of “grief” will be trotted out by publicists. Hollow “tributes” will be run in LA, TMZ will make a half-hearted attempt to be serious about her death, and the “entertainment” shows will give her a few seconds before returning to the latest Kardahsian crises, Bieber stupidity, or thug wannabe arrest. The irony of it knocks you to the floor.

The “tribute” at the Oscars will be hollow at best. It will be offset by some pathetic attempt to appease the “victims” that will decry any honor afforded her. It will be done in the name of “balance,” which of course means hate. Shirley Temple will not afforded the place she rightfully earned. It won’t be because young people don’t know her; but because the current Hollywood elites hate her and everything she stood for.

Once again Hollywood will show it’s true colors. Anti-Christian, anti-American, and Marxist.

How sad.

Real Americans are saddened by Shirley Temple’s passing. We are thankful that she passed our way.

Jennifer • on Feb 11, 2014 1:29 pm

So true, and sad, Mark.

Sheldon W. • on Feb 11, 2014 9:35 am

If anyone could be said to have lived a full life, it was Shirley Temple Black. Her accomplishments are unique and important.

Condolences to her family and friends. She was one of a kind and will never be forgotten.

musicmaven • on Feb 11, 2014 10:05 am

A wonderful entertainer as a child, with limitless talent, classy and an irreplaceable lady as an adult. Not many like her any more.
RIP, Mrs. Black.

JustSayin • on Feb 11, 2014 10:15 am

I grew up watching re-runs of Shirley Temple movies on a local TV station in my hometown every Saturday and Sunday afternoon they would play old movies. This, of course, was FIVE decades, after she had reigned in Hollywood.

I LOVED her spunk and sweetness. Her work touched many generations. She was a class act. And gifted, not just as an actress, but a true humanitarian.

You will be sorely missed. My condolences to her family. She IS an American treasure who will never be forgotten.

jorgesabas • on Feb 11, 2014 11:04 am

There was one Shirley temple in our hearts then as there is now,blessings and god speed to her and her family.

A class act and wonderful lady. For many years and for a generation of admirers, she, along with Bing Crosby, were the two most famous Hollywood performers living up here in the SF Bay Area/Peninsula.

She was my mom’s idol [my mom is heartbroken this morning], and we took great pride in knowing that she chose this area/the Peninsula (Woodside, CA) to live her life with her family. That was always our little claim to Hollywood-fame up here on the Peninsula – we lived and grew up near Shirley and Bing and their families. Nothing could be better than that.

She brought many good things to this area through her charity work, etc., and I know I speak for all of us here in mourning her passing and send sincere condolences to her family. She will be missed.

RIP Shirley Temple.

fluffo • on Feb 11, 2014 1:51 pm

Just recently watched “The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer” with her in it. She was as great as a teenager as she had been as a child star.

RIP

Heather Ferreira • on Feb 11, 2014 2:15 pm

John Agar, Shirley Temple’s first husband and father of her daughter Susan, was the first person to take me to the Oscars. He too was a class act, and this was 1991; yet he spoke of Mrs. Black with unwavering awe, adoration and reverence. John never got over Shirley Temple Black. And he never had one disrespectful word to say about her.

I can still see John in his ascot scarf today. Sitting with him in the Academy’s then theatre was like being seated beside Hollywood royalty, peeking into an era long past and long gone.

We will all miss Shirley Temple.

We already long miss the Hollywood era she came to embody and represent. Farewell, America’s Sweetheart.

lainey • on Feb 12, 2014 8:31 am

Yes, interesting that the article didn’t mention the fact that she was married to John Agar.
It’s been reported that Shirley Temple also had some of the same problems that other child stars had, in terms of having a “stage mother,” and a father who lost a great deal of the money she had earned. Thankfully, even with a failed marriage-I think she was only seventeen when she married Mr. Agar-she didn’t spiral out of control like some before her-and so many since. I hope that the fact that she never became just a postscript to many people, but was truly admired, helped her to go on and have both a successful homelife and career outside Hollywood. I’m also glad that she was able to still prosper from her work as a child, and seemed to be happy to promote it and interact with many of the fans who have happy memories of “growing up” with her, either literally-in terms of the time period-or later by viewing her movies during their own childhood. I am in the latter group, and will always remember fondly watching her movies in the afternoon on some local channel as a kid.

Debra Binz • on Feb 11, 2014 8:32 pm

My mother was burnt really bad in 1940 and family did not think she was going to make it, but she did with the grace of God. In her scrapbook is a note from Shirley. Because whom ever choose to grace my mother with that note and sign it from her, I grow to love her and enjoy her movies. God has taken a great lady – thank you Shirley for giving us all memories to hold on to.

sexykitty • on Feb 13, 2014 9:27 am

Nothing even remotely bad can be said about Shirley Temple.How many of today’s sorry excuse for young “stars” can that be said about?Very beautiful lady.Very classy lady.Truly a class act.May God bless & may she rest in peace. :(

R.H. • on Feb 21, 2014 12:43 am

The Passing of Shirley Temple Black was an honorable one. This one reminded me similar to actor James Maitland “Jimmy” Stewart who died last July 2, 1997. It is not all about money in life. Shirley Temple, like actor Jimmy Stewart, were rich not just in the sense of money. They had long lives, great contrbutions to their country, good family relationships, and using their God given talent. Both Jimmy stewart and Shirley Temple Black are rare opportunity. They lived a successful lives. These two legends are very rarely seen in the lives of today’s youth.

Today’s youth are headed for their own destruction. Many young stars may have a lot of money. Making a lot of money cannot be equated to success.